The present invention relates to an analytical apparatus including a liquid chromatography analyzer and a method therefor, and in particular, it relates to analysis which requires manual sample preparation by operators (hereinafter referred to as the manual method), and to an analytical apparatus which can store sample preparation procedures by the manual method associated with results of measurements by the analytical apparatus.
For the analytical apparatus such as liquid chromatograph, sample preparation for analysis is more or less automated; however, there are still many cases where samples must be prepared by the manual method. Since there is known no analytical apparatus that can provide data on its sample preparation when the manual method is used, the operator is required to carry out the following steps in order to be able to trace respective preparation procedures when obtaining analytical values of the samples: Namely, (1): record each preparation procedure as a flow chart in a notebook or the like, together with an actual value of weighed quantity, a constant volume of dilution, the serial number of equipment used, and so on; (2): use a calculator to find a concentration or a dilution ratio of a sample solution to be analyzed based on the actual value of weighed quantity, constant dilution volume and the like, and (3): obtain analytical values for a target sample from the values measured, dilution ratios and the like output from the analytical apparatus.
However, the prior art which is required to carry out the above-mentioned elaborate operation involves the following problems.
(1) Since the actual weighed value and the constant volume during the pretreatment operation required for obtaining the analytical value are obtained individually and separately from the output value from the analytical apparatus, a tedious work, for example, to paste an output chart from the analytical apparatus into the notebook is required for their recording and comparison.
(2) In order to obtain an analytical value, one must enter into the computer the actual weighed value, the constant volume and the like, which was already recorded in the notebook. Therefore, there is a possibility of human error in inputs by the operator, thereby degrading the reliability of the analyzed value.
Namely, since the prior art analytical apparatus is not supported for the sample preparation by the manual handling method, such manual elaboration as described above is required thereby preventing further improvement in the reliability of analysis.